Quick Salmon Salad with Herbs

Use fresh or canned salmon with kitchen staples to make this quick salmon salad fast! Healthy and tasty, you can turn to this easy salmon recipe for a quick meal option again and again. Variations for special diets included!

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In every life, quick and easy main dishes come in very handy. Even better if you can make those simple dishes with kitchen staples you can keep on hand. Little emergencies and changes of plans come up, and quick dish that you can pull in a few minutes is conducive to calm and thriving, not to mention nourishment.

This recipe is one of those fast meals. This is real fast food— faster than you could go out for it or order it in– and (usually) much better for you! You can use fresh or canned salmon, and swap other ingredients around based on what you have when the need arises.

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Things to Love about this Quick Salmon Salad

• canned salmon=fast prep
• canned salmon is also affordable– even a high quality salmon
• frozen salmon is still pretty fast
• the quantity is somewhat flexible– I used a 14.75 oz can, but you can combine little cans or use fresh to equal about a pound
• you can easily stock salmon so it is there when you need it unexpectedly
• the rest of the ingredients are also usually on hand on hand
• flexible– you can swap ingredients around based on what you have available, what you like, what suits your dietary needs, and even what is in season
• plenty of omega-3s– so good for us!
• lots of protein and other nutrients
• it’s delicious!

How to Make It

This is such a simple recipe! In fact, you barely need a recipe…

Chop a bit of onion and celery. Measure your dill and pepper.

Measure your sour cream (or mayo or yogurt) into a bowl. Stir in the veggies and seasonings.

Stir salmon into the mixture.

Adjust the seasonings. If you use canned salmon, it will likely be salty enough. If you use fresh salmon, you may want to add a little salt.

How to poach fresh salmon

Why not use canned salmon? I often do! It is convenient, easy to stock, and if you are selective, you can use a pretty clean version. I like to look for a good quality wild caught salmon. For more about choosing salmon, read this article.

Fresh salmon is, of course, even better tasting. You might also choose fresh salmon to avoid potential toxins in the cans themselves. If you are on the GAPS diet, fresh is the recommended choice. Also, those with histamine sensitivity will need to stick with fresh. Canned fish is much higher in histamine.

Happily, poaching salmon is easy and quick. You can do it while you chop your veggies and herbs.

Bring a cup or so of water to boil in a skillet. Add the salmon, cover, and simmer on a lower heat for about 10 minutes. If you start with frozen fish, it will take a bit longer. Remove from heat and flake with a fork and cool a bit before you stir it into the other ingredients.

You can use plain water, or if you like, you can use wine, herbs, and more to poach a more flavorful salmon. Check these easy instructions for more information.

How to Serve Salmon Salad

• scoop it into a bowl and serve plain
• serve over a bed of greens
• top with more herbs, tomatoes, onions, avocado, etc.
• make it into a sandwich
• scoop onto scrambled or fried eggs
• serve with crackers or chips
• great for breakfast, a quick lunch, a light dinner, or a hearty snack
• pack with ice to eat away from home– keep it cool and safe

Make a Quick Salmon Salad Your Way

• swap sour cream for thick yogurt, fresh mayonnaise, dairy free yogurt or sour cream, or even a vinaigrette– or use less
• use finely chopped red, white, or yellow onion or shallot in place of green onion
• use fresh dill
• try other herbs in place of or in addition to dill– parsley, basil and cilantro are great!
• skip the celery, or add other crunchy bits– I like cucumber, but you could use bell pepper, carrot, radish, etc.
• add a teaspoon or so of mustard
• skip the dill and add a chopped jalapeño and a half teaspoon each of cumin and chili powder
• stir in a clove of crushed garlic
• for GAPS diet, use fresh salmon, home cultured sour cream or yogurt or mayo that is GAPS friendly (I make my own using this delicious recipe), and herbs you are including in your diet with success

Love salmon? Try these quick salmon patties!